Can OSU still make the NCAA tournament?

STILLWATER, Okla. — It was the kind of effort that Oklahoma State guard Marcus Smart hadn’t seen since early in the season.

OSU’s 84-62 victory over Texas Tech snapped a seven-game losing streak that was the Cowboys’ longest in 41 seasons.

And as improbable as it might sound, the 17-10 Cowboys still have a shot at an NCAA Tournament berth that appeared unattainable during Smart’s three-game suspension.

OSU is tied for eighth in the Big 12 standings with the Red Raiders. Both teams are 5-9.

But if Smart carries his team like he did in Saturday’s game, don’t bet against Travis Ford’s team.

Tech coach Tubby Smith came away impressed after Smart blistered the Red Raiders for 16 points and 10 assists, controlling the game offensively and defensively.

“Whenever you have a player of Marcus Smart’s caliber, it takes you to another level,” Smith said.

The Cowboys still have a tough schedule looming. They travel to TCU on Monday night before upcoming home games against Kansas State and Kansas before their regular-season finale at Iowa State.

Unless it wins out and claims at least a .500 conference record, the Cowboys might be bucking some serious history to earn an NCAA berth.

No Big 12 team in the history of the conference has ever qualified for the tournament with a below .500 conference record.

And OSU will attempt to become the first team since Iowa State in 1988 to make the tournament in a season where it had a seven-game losing streak. The Cyclones are the only team since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985 to overcome a seven-game losing streak and still make the tournament.

But they might be able to make it because of the Big 12′s strength as the nation’s toughest conference. If there’s any year that a Big 12 team could make it with an 8-10 conference record, this could be the year.

The Cowboys might be bolstered if the NCAA committee takes into account the special circumstances of Smart’s recent suspension as almost an injury.

If Smart can duplicate his play during the rest of the season, he conceivably could carry the Cowboys into the tournament on his back.

“Positive energy is kinda weird,” Smart said. “It becomes contagious.

“Losing was very contagious. With this victory, if we can play like we played today, maybe that can become contagious, and we can start a different streak. A winning streak.”

But after the long losing streak, OSU coach Travis Ford cautioned that his team has taken only a small step in what it needs to accomplish.

“We were hoping that when Marcus came back, we would build on that and he would help us take that next step,” Ford said. “Today we did. Don’t know about tomorrow. But we did today.”